While highly capable students are often gifted in one or more areas, their gifts can occasionally present some challenges. At NOVA Middle School in Olympia, gifted sixth through eighth grade students are positioned for success through multiple strategies complementing and fostering their unique skills and strengths. NOVA’s holistic approach helps these students manage their social, creative and academic selves, while retaining their individuality.
“Our kids can be unabashedly themselves,” says Tiffany Price, head of the Olympia private school. “They are totally embraced here.
Things to Consider for Highly Capable Learners Choosing NOVA Middle School
NOVA Middle School has served highly capable learners for 32 years, with a current capacity of 108 students. Its 13 faculty members and 6 administrative staff focus on making the critical middle school years an exciting and productive learning time for gifted students.
Price says parents and guardians will want to consider at least three characteristics in choosing a middle school like NOVA that is geared to highly capable students. They include understanding that students who thrive at NOVA are those who benefit by learning with their peers, are seeking challenges and think outside the box.
- Learning with Peers. The first characteristic the school looks for helps bring students together in a joint learning process. “We want them to understand that when highly capable kids get the opportunity to work with like-minded peers, it sets them up for success,” says Price. “It helps elevate them even further.”
- Seeking Challenges. The second recognizes that highly capable students seek challenges. “We give our students the opportunity to go faster and deeper in their areas of expertise,” Price explains. For example, she says that a student might want to find ways to do math or science at a higher level. NOVA’s accelerated learning environment gives students the opportunity to do just that, reaching past their regular grade level.
- Thinking Outside the Box. The third recognizes students who engage in unconventional thinking. “The other piece we are always looking for at NOVA is that kids who do well at NOVA think outside the box,” she explains. “They think critically, analytically or creatively about something, showing their wealth of knowledge.” Price says an example includes a student who set up cockroach races to gather, grasp and graph data rather than taking cold numbers from another source to develop data analytics skills.
If these characteristics sound like your child, they may be a good fit at NOVA Middle School in Olympia. You can check out NOVA’s curriculum on their website. While the sixth grade is full for the 2024-2025 school year, the school is accepting applications from incoming seventh and eighth graders.
Addressing the Challenges of Highly Capable Students Entering a New Learning Environment
Price says staff recognize that it’s often challenging to transition from elementary school to middle school or transfer into a new school. That’s why they use several methods to ease the transition for incoming highly capable students who are enrolling in NOVA and learning the school’s approach.
Price says new students can come in and see the building, meet the teachers, eat lunch with other students and be assigned to buddies. NOVA also has small advisory groups for students to get connected with the adults on campus who check in with the students on how the transition is going. For example, they keep an eye on the students’ work and make sure they have no issues with the school’s technology.
The staff also confirm and support the school’s approach to learning. “We work together with students on understanding our expectations,” Price says. As one illustration, students are required to keep up with their homework. “We have them in a small group setting, and teachers notice if a student isn’t keeping up,” she says. “They work with them and help them get set up for success.”
NOVA Middle School Explains How to Set Up Your Gifted Student for Success
Classroom success often begins at home. “We want the family to be in partnership with the school,” Price says.
She notes that families can help their gifted students meet their academic goals by establishing regular customs like having a homework routine that includes setting a time, place and expectations for completing assignments.
Another strategy addresses screen time unrelated to schoolwork. “We think that kids these days often have the temptation to play games on their devices,” she explains. “We want parents to be able to see what students are doing on their screens.”
And ensuring students take care of themselves is also a critical piece for creating success. “Make sure they get enough sleep, eat a good breakfast, and get to school on time,” Price says.
If you are looking for a private school in Olympia where your child can thrive, visit NOVA’s website or contact the school.
NOVA Middle School
2020 22nd Avenue SE, Olympia
360.491.7097
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